{"id":119,"date":"2022-08-27T14:56:41","date_gmt":"2022-08-27T14:56:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=119"},"modified":"2022-08-27T14:56:41","modified_gmt":"2022-08-27T14:56:41","slug":"expand-cartridge-brass-in-stages-with-progressive-press-daily-bulletin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=119","title":{"rendered":"Expand Cartridge Brass in Stages with Progressive Press \u00ab Daily Bulletin"},"content":{"rendered":"


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August 27th, 2022<\/span><\/p>\n

Expand Cartridge Brass in Stages with Progressive Press<\/h2>\n

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Photos from DJ\u2019s Brass Service<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Have you ever expanded a .22 or 6mm cartridge all the way up to .30-caliber? If so, you know this can be a difficult procedure that stresses the case necks and neck-shoulder junction. A significant neck-size expansion done in one big jump can increase run-out, cause doughnuts, or worse yet, even split the brass. Therefore you want to proceed in increments, increasing the neck diameter in stages. One smart way to do that is to use a Progressive Press. This article explains how\u2026<\/p>\n

The most successful short-range benchrest-for-score cartridge is the 30 BR. That cartridge, as well as 30 BR variants such as the 30 BRX, all start with the 6mmBR Norma parent cartridge, typically with Lapua 6mmBR brass. To get a nice 30 BR case you want to expand in stages, increasing the inside neck diameter incrementally from .243 to .308.<\/p>\n

Darrell Jones of DJ\u2019s Brass Service<\/a> creates thousands of 30 BR cases each year. He has found a clever way to speed up the process \u2014 Darrell uses a Progressive Press<\/strong>. He runs his 6BR brass through four (4) separate Hornady neck-sizing dies with expander mandrels. First there is a .257 die, followed by .264 (6.5mm), .284 (7mm), and then .308. Then a fifth and final K&M die provides one last, slight expansion so the newly-fashioned 30 BR cases perfectly fit the arbor of Darrell\u2019s neck-turning tool.<\/p>\n

So to repeat, the case starts as .243 (6mm), then moves in up stages .257, .264, .284, and .308, with a final \u201cfinishing\u201d step prior to neck-turning. You can see the expansion in this video, which starts with 6mmBR brass that was first hydro-formed to 6 BRX:<\/p>\n

Watch 6mm Cases Expanded to 30-Caliber (6BRX to 30 BRX)<\/strong>